Villar, Senate get highest public satisfaction ratings in SWS survey

Senate President and Nacionalista Party president Manny Villar expressed elation over the results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing him and the Senate with the highest satisfaction ratings among the country's top government leaders and among major government institutions, respectively.

Villar posted the highest net satisfaction rating among the highest government officials in the country with +59 (71 percent satisfied against 13 percent dissatisfied, rounded off) in the results of the SWS survey conducted from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, 2007. This sets a 12-point record increase from his +47 rating in September 2007.

"I am deeply honored by this overwhelming expression of satisfaction by the people we serve. This is certainly a welcome news at the start of the year which should prod us to accomplish more," the Senate President and Nacionalista Party president said.

"I share this with all my colleagues in the Senate who have demonstrated exemplary performance in making the institution most relevant and trustworthy," he said.

Villar also stressed, "In all our undertakings, we are guided by our concern for the highest interest and welfare of the common people."

Vice-President Noli de Castro posted a net satisfaction rating of +41 (64 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied), while Speaker Jose de Venecia got a net rating of +1 (37 percent satisfied, 37 percent dissatisfied, correctly rounded off). Chief Justice Reynato Puno posted a net rating of -2 (32 percent satisfied, 34 percent dissatisfied).

The Senate also maintained its top rank among major state institutions in terms of obtaining the highest net public satisfaction rating of +19. Trailing it are the Supreme Court (+5), the House of Representatives (+3), and the Cabinet (-9).

Under Villar's leadership, the Senate has passed 18 bills since the opening of the 14th Congress, which include eight of nine Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council priority measures.

SWS employed face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults divided into random samples of 300 each in Metro Manila, other parts of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.